Alabama Department of Labor report lists nursing positions as dominant industry for online job postings in Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – As National Nurses Week comes to a close, we’re taking a look at the need for more of them in the healthcare field.

A recent report from the Alabama Department of Labor says RN jobs are dominating online job postings in the state.

Dr. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association, says there’s never really a hospital that isn’t in need of more nurses. He also says it’s not just one thing causing the shortages.

Williamson says nurses are leaving hospitals for other opportunities with better pay and hours, they are aging out of the workforce, and the demand at work is increasing for nurses as they deal with an aging baby boomer population.

The Alabama Department of Labor report from April says nursing jobs lead the pack when it comes to online job ads in Alabama, with over 4,000 job postings. In second place is retail sales with around 700 fewer postings.

Williamson says hospitals are getting more creative with recruiting nurses and creating their own workforce.

“We got staff that are working their way through nursing school who are now working in hospitals, to earn money as they go through nursing school. That’s a big win. The Board of Nursing has done some really innovative things with their curriculum,” Williamson said.

An example of that creativity, according to Williamson, is the Board of Nursing is allowing a nursing student going through a program to qualify as an LPN after only one year.

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